Tube bender tool



TUBE 'BENDER TOOL Filed Oct. 3, 1961 I N V EN TOR. 2AM aA /MGAPr/MS BY A44 r75, 6065/?70A4 fiya 6/1767/6? F. BAUMGARTNER Dec. 25, 1962 States The present invention relates to an improved tool for bending tubes and particularly to a hand tool for bending small diameter tubes, rods and the like.

The conventional tube bending tools have movable parts that require adjustment for tube bends of different radii and which are time consuming and subject to the need of repair.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a tube bender tool that does not require moving parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tube bender tool without moving parts so that tube bends of different radii may be formed in a tube.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tube bender tool for tubes of one-eighth inch outside diameter.

Other objects and advantages reside in a structure that is compact, inexpensive to manufacture and which in use can be held in one hand while the other hand is holding the tube and then bending the tube to the desired arcuate shape.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all of the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawings sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the approximate size of the preferred form thereof;

FIG. 2 is a detail view partly in section of the upper portion of FIG. 1 taken on the line 2-2 in a vertical plane thereof and showing two anvils in the form of cylindrical studs and the backing block therebetween;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 1 showing in phantom a bent tube positioned between one anvil and the backing block;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 1 showing two anvils in the form of cylindrical studs and the backing block therebetween;

FIG. 5 is a detail view partly in section of the lower backing block taken on a line 5-5 in a vertical plane thereof and showing the weld joint attaching it to the body portion of the tool.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the improved tube bender tool may preferably be made of steel or other material that will withstand the forces required in the bending operation.

It consists of three principal parts, i.e. a body member generally oblong in shape with the width and thickness dimensions thereof rounded to fit the hand grip of the user, backing blocks 11 and 12 respectively extending outwardly from each end of said body member 10, and four anvils 13, 14, 15 and 16 respectively, in the form of cylindrical studs one of which is attached to each end portion of said body member 10 as separated by said backing blocks 11 and 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, it will be seen that the backing block 11 is rectangular in shape, having a length 17 that is approximately one inch, a Width 18 slightly less than the thickness of the body member 10, and a thickness 19 sufiicient to withstand the force exerted upon it in the tube bending operation. In the preferred form such thickness dimension is approximately one-eighth of an inch. The backing block 12 has like dimensions as said backing block 11.

atent O n 3,069,944 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 The upper end 20 of the body member 10 is provided with a centrally located rectangular slot or groove 21 extending across the thickness 22 thereof and preferably perpendicular to the end and width surfaces of said body member 10.

The width 23 of the said groove 21 is the same as the thickness of said backing block 11 for the insertion of said backing block 11 in frictional engagement therewith, and the depth 24 of said groove 21 is preferably about one-third the length of said backing block 11.

The lower end 25 of said body member 10 is provided with a like groove 26 for the insertion of said backing block 12.

The said backing blocks 11 and 12 are fixedly attached to said body member 10 preferably by welding or brazing as desired and as shown in FIG. 5.

The upper end 20 of the said body member 10 is provided with a blind hole 27 on one side of said backing block 11 to receive said cylindrical stud anvil 13, and is positioned to provide a space 28 between the said backing block 11 and the cylindrical wall 29 of said cylindrical stud anvil 13 commensurate with OD dimension of the tube being processed for bending. The said blind hole 27 is preferably threaded to receive a like threaded portion 30 of the said anvil 13.

The said upper end 21) is provided with a similar blind hole 31 on the opposite side of the backing block 11 to receive said cylindrical stud anvil 14 in like manner and with a like space 32 between the said backing block 11 and the cylindrical wall 33 of said anvil 14.

The lower end 25 of the said body member 16 is provided with blind holes 34 and 35 respectively positioned similarly to said holes 27 and 31 to receive said cylindrical stud anvils 15 and 16 respectively so that the spaces 31? and 38 between the said backing block 12 and the cylindrical wall 37 of said anvil 15 and between the said backing block 12 and the cylindrical wall 39 of said anvil 15 respectively are like said space 23 between said backing block 11 and the cylindrical wall 29 of said anvil 13.

in operation the improved tool is held firmly with one hand placed around the body member and the tube to be bent is placed between the backing block and the anvil at the point of bend with the other hand. Good results may be obtained by holding the tube in a fixed position with the one hand and then rotating the tool held within the grip of the other hand in the direction necessary for a bend of the tube around an anvil.

Where a small radius or sharp bend is desired anvil 16 may be used and where progressively larger radii or less sharp bends are desired anvils 14, 15 and 13 respectively may be used.

Where several adjacent tubes of an installation require a bend and then remain in an adjacent position to the others after being bent, it has been found that satisfactory results have been obtained in bending one-eighth inch O.D. tubes with the improved tube bender tool wherein the anvils have the following diameters: of an inch for anvil 13, 91 of an inch for anvil 14, ,4 of an inch for anvil 15, and of an inch for anvil 16.

In practice the first tube is bent around anvil 16, the second tube around anvil 14, the third tube around anvil 15, and the fourth tube around anvil 13. It will be seen that in bending the first said tube around anvil 16 an arc of a circle will be created at the outside of such first tube that will have a radius substantially the same as the radius of the anvil 14. Where the second tube is bent around anvil 14 a similar arc of a circle will be created at the outside of such second tube that will have a radius substantially the same as the radius of the anvil 15. Similar results are obtained for the third tube with respect to anvil 13. This will permit the said adjacent tubes to re- 3 main adjacent in the bend area as well as before and after the bend area.

If more than four adjacent tubes in the group are required a second tool may be made with anvils having correspondingly greater radii to meet the need.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various arrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable tube bender tool for small tubes comprising:

(a) A hand grip body member having its end forming a plane surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal aXis thereof;

(b) An anvil backing block having its opposite surfaces in parallel planes fixedly mounted centrally of said body member end surface and extending outwardly and perpendicular to said end surface;

() An anvil mounted on said end surface and spaced apart from said anvil backing block to contact substantially opposite sides of a tube as received therebetween for bending;

(d) Said anvil having an arcuate surface opposite said anvil backing block.

2. A portable tube bender tool for small tubes comprising:

(a) A hand grip body member having its end surface forming a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof;

(b) An anvil backing block having its opposite surfaces in parallel planes fixedly mounted centrally of said end surface and extending outwardly from and perpendicular to said end surface;

(0) Two anvils mounted on said end surface and on opposite sides of said anvil backing block and spaced apart therefrom to contact substantially opposite sides of a tube as received tllerebetween for bending;

(d) Each said anvil having an arcuate surface opposite said anvil backing block formed from a radius of different length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Saterlee Oct. 28, Wagcnb-ach Oct. 4, 1927 Perazzo Dec. 14, 1948 Grenat Aug. 5, 1952 Martin Apr. 3, 1956 

